WAS? (en)
by Draki Shevio Nalombre
Summary: (OS) What's a soulmate? This is the question Stiles and Derek had asked. [Sterek] Spoiler until season 5


**So, after all this time, I post this in my real account :)**

 **Theme : What's a soulmate ?**

 **Fandom : Teen Wolf**

 **Pairing : Stiles X Derek**

 **Disclaimer : I don't own TW or its characters.**

* * *

 _ **W** ** _hat's_ a soulmate? **_

Stiles looked at his father with wide eyes sparkling with curiosity. At age 11, he had just discovered the immense possibility of the Internet and found a webpage which mentioned a special relationship between two people. While he was searching for the different species of dinosaurs identified. Anyway.

Sheriff Stilinski rubbed his neck with discomfort but they finally dropped in the sofa, ready to have a little of dad-and-son time.

 **oOo**

Derek asked his mother, because he knew she was well informed on a great number of subjects. Even if he only had 14, his Uncle Peter pursued him with his embarrassing questions about girls and Derek did his best to avoid them, until they talked about soulmates. The younger one was fascinated that one person anywhere on Earth could be doomed to him – just after he lost Paige - so he wanted to know a little more about this notion.

 _ **It's… err… Well, it's like a best friend but more.**_

Derek didn't really understand because he didn't have a best friend. Yes, he had his band with which he attended high school, but he had never invited them to his house and nobody except his family knew his…particularity. He's quite close to Peter, but it's because they share blood. No human has reached his heart to unlock it.

 **oOo**

Stiles immediately thought about Scott. After all, they were inseparable for the past five years. They go to each others houses quite easily, and consider both that the single parent of the other is theirs too. John and Melissa have now accepted they have two sons that do all the stupidities possible at their age.

 _ **It's that one person in the world who knows you better than anyone else.**_

Stiles had seen that behind his Grumpy Cat's face, Derek was sensitive. When he frowned, or talked, or acted… All of this proved that the last Hale cared about them a lot more than he dares to say. They were his pack, this kind of strange family which tried to replace the one he had lost. They should be there to help each other. But their Alpha tried to hide a lot of feelings, and Stiles knew they were more or less unhealthy for himself. He wanted to erase the guilt of the tall grouch's heart.

 **oOo**

Derek knew that Stiles' sarcasm and great smiles were his shields, even if they sometimes make him crazy. The fact that the younger one always filled the silence with stupid sayings wasn't a coincidence, and he understood it very well. He felt that the human tried to forgot the awful flaw he had in his heart because of his mother's death. And if Derek could help him, he would, but he just didn't know how. So he supported Stiles and tried to not put him in danger.

 _ **It's someone who makes you a better person.**_

"Be serious! Remember that we have an anti-wolf disease which is spreading while our names are on a blacklist. The fact you're not on it doesn't give you the right of…

\- Do not doubt my determination, Derek. Let me remind you we're a pack. And that's just because all of you are so deadly worried that I have to calm down the atmosphere a little. It's suffocating! And until you prove the opposite, I'm the one who always has the best ideas while you settle everything with violence.

\- Strength is needed. It encourages them not to try again. It keeps us away from unsolved problems, like Peter. And it's clearly not when they see you that they fly away.

\- You set Peter on fire and he came back to life. Intelligence is far more dangerous. Remember the Nogitsune, Stiles said sadly. He caused a lot more pain than Jackson the Kanima.

\- That doesn't exclude the fact your plans rarely work.

\- Which is not very surprising seeing the little value you put on them. If you trust each other, things will be ten times better!

\- You…

\- I'm not saying I'm perfect, far from that, but efforts have to be made by everyone, otherwise they don't work. To be a real pack, we must begin to like each other and to act like a real family at some point."

 _ **Actually, they don't make you a better person. You do that yourself.**_

"Thank you".

The word, simple, common and pronounced quite often, freeze all the people around the table, and made them turn their head to the one who said it. A clearing of throat later:

"Derek, is everything OK? You don't feel sick or anything ?"

Just a sigh answered him and it started a whole debate concerning the "why" of the thing:

"But this is just amazing!

\- Personally, it's the first time I'm hearing it, whispered Kira.

\- And this isn't like he saved his life!

\- Stiles, aside from give him the plate of meat, what have you done?

\- Nothing! And stop with your undertones, Isaac, grumbled the human.

\- I wasn't only thanking Stiles, calmed down the adult. You all helped me in a moment or another and I have to say it to you."

After a quiet time, Liam asked:

"Do you think he's seeing pink butterfly and flying hearts?"

 **oOo**

Stiles saw the ambulance drive away, twisted between relief and regrets. A hand landed on his shoulder and he responded with a little smile.

"Congratulations, said his father. You managed to save a life alone.

\- Can I know how and why you knew the right gestures to do? asked Lydia with a surprised face.

\- Well… Stiles mumbled with his fingers on his neck. The fact is that I didn't really appreciate hearing Derek say that I was skinny and defenseless so I asked Parrish if he could teach me some self-defense movements, in case I can punch our ex-Alpha in his fucking face one day. And for the emergency gestures, Internet. I watched it after you were attacked, because I panicked in the stadium and I didn't want to do that again. And finally, it helps me to not faint when I see blood."

He offered them a larger and sincerer smile. He was happy to have saved a life.

 _ **Because they inspire you.**_

Despite the fact he grumbled to excessive proportions about threats and violence, Stiles admired Derek's personality. Himself never reached this level of temper, because his brain always find the time to imagine the worst when the situation drifted. And even if he said the opposite, he enjoyed being protected by the ex-Alpha's strength. He was proud of knowing him when the aged one succeeded to move forward in this cruel world, despite all the pain he can feel. Stiles wanted to become someone as determined as him.

 **oOo**

Even if Stiles was sometimes a little intrusive or clingy, Derek liked a lot the joy of life which shined from him. His smiles, sincere or tease, his language always picky and having hint of intelligence, his intuition a lot more reliable than the average, his heartening presence despite he was the only human of their pack… Derek was always more attracted by this moving sun that was the teenager, and he hoped one day, he will be as open and confident as him.

 _ **A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever.**_

Derek felt a hole in his chest extend when he went in the car with Braeden. He didn't want to leave after all. He didn't want to abandon the pack, his friends, and Stiles especially. Because he understood the young man was far more important to him than all the others were, and it didn't disturb him. Not anymore. It was more like he always knew he would become addicted to the son of the Sheriff, but he didn't want to force things at the beginning. Unfortunately, he made a deal with the mercenary and he had to follow her. Now. Even if he saw the eyes of Stiles welling up with tears, even if he heard his heart beating far too fast and too strong, even if he saw everyone else looking at the one he loved with pity in their eyes. A part of him will always stay with this human.

 **oOo**

Stile horribly wanted to cry but he couldn't. He should however, because the train was moving away with high velocity from Beacon Hills, his father, Scott and all the others. He should have a broken heart, but it was the exact opposite, just a light twinge of anxiety.

He was super excited. He was leaving everything he knew to join him. They hadn't seen each other in one year and half, but Derek asked him to meet up, like he couldn't resist the distance that was enforced between them. And Stiles accepted obviously, because he neither couldn't bear the absence the other. He needed the wolf by his side.

 _ **It's the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did**_

Derek remembered. He was shot and he fell **.** He had seen that his wound was poisoned but he couldn't do anything. He didn't have the cure, nor the strength to search for it. So, he had resolved himself to demand help. He had to find Scott. He had to find the new Beta. Him alone could help him. But he only had Stiles, and he had to entrust his life in the hand of the most lunatic human he had ever encountered. He had growled of pain. He had threatened to rip out his throat, many times. Even so, Stiles had stayed. Despite the fact he might have had to cut off an arm which would have caused an entire year of nightmares, he had stayed. And that showed they trusted each other, at least a bit.

 _ **Or when no one else would.**_

A movement next to him woke him up. He first thought that it was nothing, but the body on his left turned his back to him suddenly.

Derek had nightmares. Again. Stiles bit his lip, then he leaned up on his elbow while his hand met his companion's shoulder tenderly.

"Derek… Derek wake up, he called him. Derek."

After shaking him harder, the brunet opened his eyes, lost. His breathing was a little too fast and his eyelids trembled.

"Stiles?"

His raucous voice seemed like the one of someone who had screamed during hours. Broken.

"Yes, it's me. Are you ok? Stiles asked while he caressed his arm.

\- Yes… I am, the aged one answered finally. It was… just a bad memory.

\- Which one?

\- Boyd."

The younger eared the culpability and the resentment in the other voice and – once in a time – he took Derek in his arms. The lycan snuggled a little more against his human, enjoying the embrace's warmth, and he buried his nose in his neck so he could breathe his sent. Honey, oak and grapefruit. He began to relax, while Stiles whispered in his ear:

"You are an exceptional man Derek Hale. The fact you have been targeted by a psychopath, an Alpha pack and a Darach, and you are still alive proves it. You are strong. You are kind-hearted. You are not really intelligent but this is my job. You have everything to succeed your life, you just didn't have the possibility to do so.

\- You are my possibility.

\- Okay, then stop dwelling on the past and focus on me.

\- Okay."

A serious Stiles wasn't something he was accustomed to, but once a time it is great, especially when he made him feel his presence and his support in this way. Derek will be able to forget the demons who haunted him.

 **oOo**

Stiles was lost. A lot of time passed since he was possessed and since… He just happened to have done another panic attack. Again. And as his mother's birthday approached, they were more exhausting and closer. They let him breathless and with terrible headaches. The last time, he had also thrown up, but this was because he was alone and at a point he believed he will die. Now, he was snuggled into tanned and comforting arms, and a voice whispered him to stay calm and focus only on her. He felt a heartbeat resonate in his torso behind him and the vibrations caused reverberated in his back and his whole body. A warm but gentle breath on his neck brought him chills. He felt protected. He was serein. He was with Derek.

"Thank you, he whispered.

\- Stop thinking about Theo or the others, the profound voice answered. Think about your father, Stiles. Think about how much your parents loved you and everything they have done for you. Just think about this wonderful luminous strength and not what can be destroyed by the cruelty of some. You are strong and you are with me. Everything will be fine.

\- Thank you" he repeated.

He will surpass all this pain, thanks to his man.

 _ **And no matter what happens, you will always love them.**_

It was the first winter they passed together, lost in a forest house in one of the northern states. The fire was burning gently, and the two men both had a cup of their favorite drinks in their hands.

"I don't know how you can drink something with so much sugar in it, said Derek with a teasing smile.

\- There is no such sugar. It is only milk, cacao dissolved in powder, and some cubes of chocolate marshmallow, recovered with whipped cream and a square of 85% of dark chocolate.

\- Yep. Only sugar and lactose.

\- At least, mine has some taste. Not like your infused water which doesn't even have any sent.

\- It has a lot of perfume. It's you who doesn't smell anything.

\- I don't have your sense of smell. And it doesn't exclude that my drink is better because it's more gourmand.

\- You just don't have any smell. I bought that tea in a human shop, from a human shopkeeper and he perfectly smelled it. You don't have any excuses. Besides, an infused water in front of a chimney fire with you, it's perfect for me."

Stiles raised his head with a surprised look on his face, before his eyes creased a little and his smile extended tenderly.

"I love you too, Sourwolf. And I never want to leave you again.

\- I will always watch your back, little Stilinski.

\- Until the end of world and time?

\- You can count on me."

After some seconds during which they looked at each other with love and trust, Stiles picked up his debate which proof that chocolate was better for mind than mint leaves and they kept going their evening like that.

 _ **Nothing could ever change that.**_

 _"But Dad, how can I know who's the One?_

 _\- You'll feel it from the bottom of your heart" the Sheriff had answered._

Stiles stared at Derek who was reading and he felt a great joy and a high wave of peace. So, he smiled. And Derek said he had sawn him and he asked why.

"I remember something my dad said one day. He was right.

\- About what?

\- You."


End file.
